As the state capital of Alaska, Juneau is a small city that also offers a real airport. Juneau is less touristy, and the downtown area is a mix of shopping and municipal buildings. As a popular cruise port, the summer season sees passengers exploring downtown Juneau or heading out on an adventure, from dogsledding to glacier trekking. Here are the top things to do in Juneau, Alaska.
Top Things to Do in Juneau, Alaska
Visit Mendenhall Glacier
Ride the Gold Belt Tramway
See Takhu
Go Whalewatching
Take a City Tour
Visit the Alaskan State Museum
Walk the Totem Pole Trail
Stroll the Jensen-Olson Arboretum
Visit the Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure
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Mendenhall Glacier
Mendenhall Glacier is not on the water, so it is not a tidewater glacier. It’s a mountain glacier. A trip to Mendenhall Glacier is worth the effort if not on a cruise ship excursion.
On my two stops in Juneau, I visited the Mendenhall Glacier both times. On one trip, I paddled a canoe up to the glacier. Then second trip, my kids and I hiked and then checked out the Kids Activities it offers during the summer.
As a National Forest site, Mendenhall Glacier offers several hiking trails, like the .25-mile Photo Walk, suitable for most. The Nugget Falls hiking trail is a 2-mile round-trip trail that leads to the falls close to the glacier. The East Glacier Loop is a 3-mile moderate loop near the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center.
Kids can explore the area, then fill out a booklet to earn a National Forest Ranger Badge, a special Mendenhall Glacier badge. This badge is only available at the Visitor Center located on-site.
Mendenhall Glacier is located about 13 miles from the cruise ship docks. To get there, you must take an excursion, find a tour operator that offers a shuttle service to the glacier or take a cab. During the summer season, it is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. From November to March, it is open Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m, to 4 p.m. The grounds are open 6:00 a.m. to midnight year-round. Adult admission is $5 for a day pass and kids 15 and under are free, available on-site.
Gold Belt Tramway
With the tram station located steps away from the dock, the Mt. Roberts Tramway is an easy DIY excursion. Take the tram car up 1,760 ft to a fantastic view (if the weather is clear).
At the top, find a nature center with an interpretive area. In the Chilkat Theater, see an 18-minute film covering the region and its people. There is three hiking trails at the top of Mt. Roberts, from the 2-mile Mount Roberts Trail to the 7-mile Granite Creek Trail.
The Timberline offers a menu focused on the region’s seafood, along with a selection of beer, wine and cocktails.
Located at 490 S. Franklin St. Open May to September with varying hours. Admission based on age. Temporarily closed.
See Takhu
Takhu is a life-sized bronze sculpture of a breaching whale jumping out of an infinity pool. Weighing over six tons and stands 25 feet tall, well worth the walk to see it.
Located at Overstreet Park along the downtown Juneau waterfront, about a 20-minute walk from the cruise ship docks.
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Whale Watching Cruise
You can arrange a whale watching cruise to see the summer feeding grounds of humpback whales. They spend the summers after crossing the Pacific Ocean, after wintering in Hawai’i.
To see the majestic creatures, you need to reserve a tour. Each lasts about 3 to 4 hours.
Take a Hike
From downtown Juneau, you can hike the Perseverance Trail. A 3.5-mile one-way moderate hike starting from Basin Road near downtown. It features old mining ruins, waterfalls and steep canyon walls. To get from the cruise ship pier, it is a .7-mile walk.
Located off Basin Road, headed out of Juneau, Mount Roberts Trail is a challenging trail with an elevation gain of 1,800 feet, with views of the Gastineau Channel. To reach the tram station, it is 2 miles one-way; however, you can continue along the trail.
Juneau City Tour
Hop a bus and see Juneau on a guided city tour. Each is usually an hour and a half and family-friendly as they drive through Overstreet Park and Homestead Park.
Most usually depart the cruise ship dock and are round-trip.
Top Alaskan Ports of Call Plus Excrusions
Alaska State Museum
Established in 1900, this is the place to learn more about Alaska. The Alaska State Museum includes 32,000 artifacts in its collection.
Visitors will find exhibits about Alaska Native cultures, such as Inupiat, Yup’ik, Aleut and Athabascan. Items include totems and ceremonial regalia. There is a display on the Russian colonization period.
There are displays on Alaska’s industries, including fishing, forestry and mining. Visitors can all find art from Alaskan artists.
Located at 395 Whittier St, Juneau. Open year-round from Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Monday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Adult admission is $14 and those 18 and younger enter for free.
Totem Pole Trail
In downtown Juneau, visitors can walk past 14 carved totems from master carvers. A project of Sealaska Heritage Institute, the Kootéeyaa Deiyí aims to reach 30 poles.
Located along the seawalk and Heritage Square at the intersection of Seward and Front Streets. Free to enjoy.
Jensen-Olson Arboretum
On 14 acres of ocean-front temperate rainforest, Caroline Jensen cultivated an old homestead that she gifted to become a public garden. The Jensen-Olson Arboretum includes over 1,200 plant species, and over 200 in her prized primrose collection.
- Located at 23035 Glacier Hwy., Juneau. From April to September, it is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 pm.
Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure
For plant lovers, explore Glacier Gardens for a guided one-hour tour of its gardens aboard an open-air shuttle. See the plants of the temperate rainforest along with a creek that runs through the property.
Located at 7600 Glacier Highway, 7 miles away from the cruise ship docks. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May 1 to the end of October. Admission based on age. Transportation to Glacier Gardens is not included.
Bucket List Excursions in Juneau
For cruisers wanting to check off some bucket list items, Juneau offers some unique excursions. From helicopter tours to guided glacier trekking, you’ll find your bucket list Juneau excursion.
Seaplane Sightseeing Flights
Dogsledding
Guided Ice Field Trekking
Helicopter Sightseeing Flights
All-you-can-eat seafood cookouts
Segway Tours
Gold Panning
Guided Kayak Tours
